On view March 30-April 21, 2018

Off the Wall Silent Art Auction: a fundraiser for the CityArts scholarship program | Main GalleryThroughout the month of April, CityArts will be hosting “Off the Wall,” a silent art auction to raise funds for the CityArts scholarship program. Pieces from past exhibiting artists will be on view in the Main Gallery. Art enthusiasts will have the opportunity to bid for their favorite pieces during the month-long silent auction.

USD 259 Instructor Art Show | Boardroom & Balcony GalleriesWichita Public Schools has a long history of supporting art education. The district employs more than 100 visual art teachers. This exhibition represents the work of some of those art professionals whose mission is to teach art and the appreciation of it to our city’s students.

"Trent's Views" by Trent Landreth | Main Hall GalleryDrawing has always been Trent Landreth’s primary form of entertainment, stress relief and comedic expression. Though severe Autism has left him almost completely cut off verbally from others, his art has inspired, encouraged and educated people around the world. In July 2016, a video of Trent drawing images upside down on his trampoline went viral and has been viewed more than 54 million times.

Trent was diagnosed with severe Autism at the age of 2 and remains virutally non-verbal. Despite his inability to personally communicate his feelings, thoughts and dreams, the emotions expressed in and through his art are unmistakable. From the concerned to the confused to the comedic, “Trent’s View” of the world around him gives the viewer the ability to see everyday things in a new and intriguing way.

On view April 27-May 19, 2018

"No Middle Ground" by Tim Stone | Main GalleryTim Stone’s work consists of depicting spaces that are inspired by the ordinary and triggered by the mundane. During his travels last year, Tim took an interest in places that were in the midst of change — places that are moving from established businesses and residences to new, more expensive state-of-the-art facilities. His paintings pay homage to the beauty of the places he visited, but also to unveil the sinister reality of rich and poor in the present day, leaving no room for middle ground.

Tim received his BFA in Painting from Wichita State University. He was accepted to the New York Studio School of Painting, Drawing and Sculpture where he participated in a drawing marathon with Graham Nickson. He currently teaches Basic Design at Bethany College. He was one of 50 artists included in the book WichitaArtists in Their Studios by Sondra Langel and Larry Schwarm.

"Sing in me, oh muse. And through me, tell the story. — Homer" by Denise Irwin | Boardroom GalleryVessels accept, contain, protect and preserve the cycle of life. Vessels also constrain and limit. Constrained by the family and the culture in which we live, our ability to see possibilities is limited. A lifelong Kansan, Denise Irwin formerly taught graphic design and foundations of art at Cowley Community College, as well as working at the public radio station, KMUW. Now, she spends all her time in her converted barn studio exploring and experimenting with clay.

"Intermixture" by Robin Valenzuela | Balcony GalleryColor and texture play an active part in Robin Valenzuela’s artwork. The thick and thin of the paint and the way the surface accepts or denies her trials are what keep her hooked at trying and trying again. Many of her abstract works incorporate illustrative shapes, hard edges and softer random self-forming masses. Her paintings show humor and flippant surprises that entices the viewer.

Robin comes from a creative family who affected her journey of becoming an artist. She holds an associates degree from Garden City Community College and one in Apparel Design & Illustration from Wade College, Dallas. For 15 years, she worked as a graphic designer and pre-press expert for a small printing company. She now works full-time as an artist, artrepeneur and freelance graphic designer. She is an active member with Garden City Arts.

"From Barbara's Bench" by Barbara Vogt | Main Hall GalleryBarbara Vogt has taught silversmithing and enameling for CityArts since she returned to Wichita in 2000. Barbara enjoys teaching various youth classes and her monthly visits to ARC. While “From Barbara’s Bench” is her first solo exhibition, she shows regularly at CityArts group exhibitions and Lister Studio, including the annual Art Trek in November.

From 1985 to 2000, Barbara lived and worked in Manitou Springs, Colorado. She was on the Board of Directors at Commonwheel Artist’s Co-op, then the manager of Filthy Wilma’s Gallery. She taught enameling and silversmithing at the Colorado Springs Senior Center and helped organize community art events, festivals and fairs in Manitou Springs.

On view May 25-June 23, 2018

"Not to be Seen" by Johnny Sutton | Main GalleryJohnny Sutton uses photography to bring to the canvas images that haven’t existed in front of the camera lense. His new exhibition at CityArts includes artwork from three different series, the most recent consisting of abstractions based on architecture. Although these were printed in Wichita, most the work was done in Bassano del Grappa, Italy, where Johnny has been living off and on over the past eight years.

Johnny studied sculpture and painting at Wichita State University. After that, he spent his time traveling extensively, with extended stays in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico; Marrakech, Morocco; Athens, Stockholm and Paris. He exhibited paintings through the 1970s and 80s, focusing on fantasy landscapes that often incorporated figures from ancient cultures. He began exhibiting photography in 2000 but still maintained his “painter’s eye.” Rather than documenting objects, he uses subjects as source material to create images of a personal nature and often detaches the original subject matter from the final picture.

"Undiscovered Countries" by Laura Nugent | Boardroom GalleryWorking with a loose idea of pattern and limited color palette, Laura Nugent creates works with insistent rhythm and restrained hues. Her method of layering paint creates depth and allows for accident. Her hand is apparent in each imperfect line that is painted, and her newest works show the tolerance for letting materials speak without correction.

Originally from Rhode Island, Laura graduated from the Maryland Institute College of Art and has pursued a career as a full-time artist for more than 15 years. Her work can be found in various private and corporate collections, including The Four Seasons Hotel (Chicago), Pinnacle Bank (Nashville) and Black and Veatch (Kansas City). Laura maintains her studio in Merriam, Kansas and travels extensively to exhibit in juried shows and galleries.

"Cosmic X-Rays" by Trisha Thompson Adams | Balcony Gallery"Cosmic X-Rays" is a look at ourselves within the universe - to see beyond our own bodies and what roles we play on a larger scale. It is more a reflection and meditative outlook not just on the beauty and intricacies of our genetic makeup, but a look at how similar our anatomy mimics space phenomena.

Trisha Thompson Adams is an artist from Oklahoma who enjoys tiny paintings, anatomy and folklore. In 2011, she graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art from Oklahoma State University. She currently creates oil paintings inspired by the natural world, anatomy and mythology. When not painting, Trisha is recording strange dreams, playing with her cats, stargazing and being barefoot.